Album Review: Lamp of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstorm
Reviewed by Patrick O'Reilly
US Black metal outfit Lamp of Murmuur have created quite a buzz in the black metal scene since their first demos dropped in 2019. They have seemed to capture the atmosphere and buzz of the second wave of black metal, but is the hype real?
Consisting of five tracks of around seven to nine minutes in length and one interlude of a short ambient piece the first thought upon hearing this album was the blast!! This comes shrieking out of the gates like early Immortal with incredible force and indeed the many blasting sections of the album all have an energy about them that exhilarates.
Apart from the blasts it is the riffs on this album that really impress, a varied selection of slow, simple riffs mixed with faster more intricate ones really captivates and creates hooks which pull you in for further listens, really digging inside your brain and taking hold.
Standout track on the album for me is track 2 ‘Hymns of Death, Rays of Might’, with it’s thrashy drums and fast riffing reminding me of the might Absu in their prime. This track highlights how important it is in black metal to create interesting riffs and not to bury them in a poor sound mix to try and create a raw and rough feel, you can still be kult with good sounding guitars and drums and Lamp of Murmuur prove that here.
Vocals are dark and mysterious, raspy black metal screams which help create a cold, dark atmosphere alongside eerie, symphonic keyboards.
Very impressive cover art combines with the memorable and interesting music found within to create a really impressive release that black metal fans new and old will appreciate.
I would recommend this album in particular for fans of – Immortal, Absu, Emperor, Departure Chandelier, Craft
